


An Espressaline/Madspresso Sickfic

by LoloxTheMuffin



Category: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Genre: (RIP Cake Hounds), Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Honestly Pretty Cheesy, Implied Violence, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoloxTheMuffin/pseuds/LoloxTheMuffin
Summary: While on a mission for the Kingdom alongside Madeleine and the rest of his party, Espresso is jumped by some cake hounds and ends up being knocked into some dirty water. Essy gets sick and Madeleine decides that, to make up for not being able to protect him, he must help Essy get better. Espresso is… tolerating it.This is cheesy and stupid, but sometimes you just gotta write something cheesy and stupid.
Relationships: Madeleine Cookie/Espresso Cookie (Cookie Run)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 103





	1. Water Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: I am not taking this fic seriously at all, so enjoy it for what it's worth, I suppose. 
> 
> I just wanted an excuse to write some fluff, so this is what has happened. The actual fluffy parts will happen in the next chapter.

The group edged further into the forest, armored and ready. The earth squelched beneath their shoes, an aftereffect of the rains that had been plaguing the Kingdom recently. Droplets still dripped from the leaves of the trees above so the five took great care in keeping themselves dry. Clover Cookie stood guard at the back, quietly strumming his fiddle while observing the other four ahead of him. Espresso and Chili Pepper stood side-by-side, sandwiched between Clover and the two in front, Madeleine and Princess.

They were nearing the edge of the sea from what Clover could tell. The air was cooler and tasted just a pinch saltier, which was quite pleasant. Even so, the quintet marched on, investigating the area to make sure that it was safe for being cleared later. So far, they had encountered a small pack of Cake Hounds but not much else. Espresso had cleared them out easily with a spell and Princess scared off the stragglers by waving her scepter about.

“There’s no treasure here,” Chili Pepper grunted, dragging her feet. She had her arms folded tightly, shoulders high and tense. “Just a bunch of dogs.”

“The point of this expedition is to simply clear this patch of land. Treasure-hunting was never a part of this plan,” Espresso pointed out, walking with considerably better posture.

Chili tossed back her head, groaning, “I know, but that doesn’t mean that treasure couldn’t still be here. Aren’t old forests supposed to have ruins and stuff?”

“These forests have rivers-a-plenty,” Clover offered, his smile gentle and relaxed. “Treasures found there are good as any.”

“Pfft, like what? Fish?” Chili’s sarcastic laughter came out in barks, and her ponytail bobbed with the movement.

“Fish can be nice! Chef makes wonderful f- woah!” Princess twirled around to offer her own comment, stumbling back as she tripped over her own feet. Madeleine caught her arm and pulled her back up before she fell too hard. “Ah, thank you-”

Madeleine grinned, “It’s no issue. Be careful, your Highness.” 

Chili Pepper grimaced, “If we’re not going to find anything interesting, let's walk quicker and get this over with.”

Clover tuned out the complaining that continued for a while longer, blissfully feeling the wind brush against his hair and examining the wildflowers that sprouted up wherever they could. Among the singing birds and the rustling of leaves, he heard a cacophony of barks and growls; it was quite alarming, and he was quick to announce his fears, “There are Cake Hounds; ready yourselves, my friends.”

Madeleine raised his shield and the whole group paused, all taking mental notes in various amounts of detail of their surroundings. As if in silent agreement, Princess and Espresso positioned themselves a little behind Madeleine. Chili Pepper, on the other hand, sidestepped to hide behind a large roll-cake tree instead, brandishing her twin knives and fang-toothed grin. Clover’s hand rested on top of his fiddle’s fingerboard, holding down the strings lest they respond to the sudden vibrations that were sent through the earth a moment later.

The hounds erupted from the underbrush, the sounds of individuals flooding into one river of bounding paws and slobbery tongues. Some similar cakes lined up in the distance, readying boomerangs to be thrown. However, they did not get much of a chance to do so as Espresso raised his hand, magic swirling around his palm in circular symbols. A gigantic mass of dark, bitter-scented magic erupted from the ground, bursting from a ring of shimmering patterns; the Hounds slipped and stumbled over one another as they were pulled into the grinder spell, yelping fearfully as many were felled. Clover could see that the boomerang hounds had also been taken care of as Chili Pepper cheered at the other end of the field. He and his group ran up to meet her, pushing whatever animals were left away.

“I feel kinda bad,” Princess announced, trying to avert her gaze from the cakes.

“The feeling will pass,” Espresso reassured, his usual upright posture lacking as he slowly regained energy. Clover considered playing a song to assist in calming the group but refrained from doing so as he heard another wave approach.

“Behind me!” Madeleine called as a gigantic hound made itself known. It came behind another half dozen or so smaller cakes, all bouncing along with their teeth shining in the morning light. All of the other four, including Chili Pepper, braced themselves for the impact that they knew would arrive. Princess swept her scepter across the line of little dogs, knocking them away just as the big dog charged.

Madeleine yelled as the dog slammed itself into his then glowing shield, knocking him back. The force of the encounter sent a cool wave of air smashing against the trees behind them, though Madeleine’s magic kept him safe. Despite his efforts and the caution taken by the rest of his party, they were all quite stunned.

Their formation broke as more dogs showed up, nipping at the cookies. Clover, panicking, strummed a fast-paced song as he danced wildly to avoid being bitten. Encouraged by the tune, Madeleine recaptured his composure and swiped his attackers away before assisting Princess. She bonked many a dog on the head with the head of her staff, leaving all of them stunned.

However, not even that scared the greater hound away, and it charged again, hitting all of the party backwards. Chili was rammed into a tree, Princess stumbled and fell, Clover nearly dropped his fiddle, Madeleine was forced to his knees, and Espresso was sent into a large puddle of water. The mage spat out vile-tasting mud; it was clearly over seasoned and not a pleasant experience at all. Much less pleasant still was the fact that his cloak was now soaked and made him shiver, and he rose to his feet shakily. Despite this, he managed another grinder spell.

The whirl of swirling magic battered the enemies, and combined with the abilities of the other Cookies, the dogs were sent away. Clover approached Espresso, nervously clinging to his fiddle.

“Are you okay, Espresso? That wasn’t a pretty display,” Clover asked, wincing as Espresso wiped muddy sugar water from his previously pristine outfit.

“I am fine, though disheveled,” Espresso grunted, examining his glasses.

“You need some help there, Espresso?” Chili grinned, not looking too clean herself. She didn’t seem to care, though, and left the cluster of leaves and little twigs in her hair that had fallen in.

“I will be fine. We must continue,” Espresso insisted, wrapping his cloak around himself. He stared at Madeleine as the knight removed his blue cloak and tried to put it on him, only for Espresso to turn it down. “Do not bother dirtying it,” he said as he stepped away, “It is unnecessary.” 

“Are you sure?” Princess asked, brushing off her many layers of skirts. “You might get sick.”

“I will be fine. Now please stop dawdling, we have limited time.”

With that, Espresso started walking again, and the rest collectively shrugged and followed after, reassuming formation. The mage lagged behind a little, but Clover’s songs and his own stubbornness kept him going til they reached the end.


	2. Here, With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeleine takes care of Espresso.
> 
> Word Count: ~1,770

After the group reached the Kingdom, they all spit up. Chili Pepper and Clover ran off towards the parks while Princess went back to the castle to report how the mission had gone. Espresso started on his way to his home and was displeased yet not surprised when Madeleine followed him.

“I told you, Madeleine, I am fine,” he huffed, glaring at the smiling knight. The gesture was half-hearted and given up on almost immediately, and Espresso’s expression became vacant as he thought longingly of sitting down with a cup of coffee.

“You took some pretty heavy hits today, I’m just here to make sure that you get some rest. Everycookie and the Divine know about your habits; the others agreed that you’d need it.”

The mage grimaced and shook his head lightly. “I hope that you do not plan on staying long,” he responded curtly, tossing his hair. The mud had long since dried on his dress, proving very uncomfortable; he wanted to change as soon as possible.

“I won’t, don’t worry. Though I will come in to check on you.”

The mage looked down, slumping slightly. “I doubt that I can stop you, hm?”

“I know my duty, and for now that is to make sure that you’re okay.”

“Fine.”

Madeleine grinned victoriously, much to Espresso's chagrin, “Fine.”

Eventually, the duo reached Espresso's doorstep. The mage, sighing, unlocked his door and walked in first, holding it open for just as long as it took for Madeleine to walk through. 

Madeleine looked over a sea of paperwork, spellbooks, and various containers. The whole place was in desperate need of dusting and vacuuming, though the more commonly tread places were considerably cleaner. The knight found this a bit odd for the uptight-in-appearances mage, but he presumed that he had simply not had the time recently. Espresso had a couple of shelves above his bookcases that held a couple of picture frames; he was flattered to see that one of them was a photograph of himself and Espresso.

"If you really do insist on staying, then do refrain from misplacing my possessions. I have a couple of books that you might like."

"Alright, thanks," Madeleine said as he watched Espresso disappear into another room, shutting the door behind him. Glancing at a dusty photograph shelf and the small stack of dirty coffee cups by the sink, he wondered if the mage would mind if he cleaned up a bit. 

* * *

Espresso emerged from his room, freshly showered and clothed in a simple yet elegant cloak, tunic, and pants. He held his dirty dress away from his now clean self as he entered his living room and froze.

Madeleine was cheerfully wiping down the surfaces with a cloth that the mage recognized as one from the closet. The knight had been at this for quite a while, he guessed. Showering had taken a long time since the mud was stubborn and he had to be careful not to harm his fragile dough.

"... What are you doing?" Espresso found his voice, startling Madeleine.

The knight seemed to jump, but the reaction was quickly covered up. "Oh, just helping," Madeleine grinned, the expression as obnoxious as it always had been. “I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to clean up a little.”

“You don’t even live here,” Espresso huffed, carrying his dirty bundle to a small room in which he kept his washing machine, “Though I suppose your service is appreciated.” He looked around the place a second time after setting the clothes to wash and also found that Madeleine had done his dishes, too. “... Are you trying to convince me to let you stay here, Madeleine?” he asked in a tone rather accusatory.

Much to his exasperation, the knight just shrugged and said in a playful manner, “I might be.”

Espresso rolled his eyes and went to brew himself a fresh cup of coffee, finding that his throat was rather sore. His limbs weren’t too cooperative, either. He nearly knocked his own drink off of the counter.

“Are you sure that you’re fine?”

“Ye-” the mage paused to cough into his elbow. “Ghh…” When he looked up again, he found that Madeleine was staring at him in a very concerned manner. His face felt flushed and he mentally blamed it on his coffee; he hid his expression by keeping his back to Madeleine, though the slight quivering of his arms wasn’t hard to see.

“Maybe you should sit down,” the knight suggested, gesturing to the couch. Espresso said nothing as he complied, sinking into the marshmallow pillows while sipping at his coffee. Madeleine put his cloth down and went across the room into the kitchen, where he heard faint sizzling.

“What are you doing _ now _ ? I told you that I don’t need the help, now leave,” Espresso mumbled.

Madeleine chuckled, turning with a sheepish grin, “Aw, really? But I already made you breakfast.” When Espresso looked over, the knight proudly showed off a dark apron that he had clearly stolen from the mage’s lining closet as he flipped some jellies in a pan. He briefly left the other’s stovetop to pluck a folded blanket and drop in Espresso’s lap; it was quickly unfolded by the mage.

Espresso took a long sip before speaking once more, “I appreciate your concern and your sincerity, but I really do not require any assistance.” He huffed, holding the heavy, dark blanket close around his body. “The others are kind to look after my welfare, but they do not choose who gets to enter my house.”

Madeleine shrugged. “True… Hey, if you really want me to leave, I can.” He tipped the pan over, scraping the jellies onto a plate. The self-appointed cook carried it over to Espresso. “But at least eat something.”

Espresso paused, staring at the plate. “I…” he began, mouth hovering open. His shoulders sagged and he picked up a fork, sighing in defeat. “Fine, I shall amuse your ego for just a little while longer.” The mage ate while sitting on his couch, ignoring the knight who continued to stand over him.

“So? How is it?”

The mage’s sarcastic quip was unintentionally stifled by his next bite, and he resorted to grumbling his words instead.

Madeleine rolled his eyes, grin not faltering. He patted Espresso on the shoulder. “Ah, thank you for such a kind compliment.”

“ _ Mmmphf _ .”

“Don’t talk, you might choke.”

“Hm.”

Madeleine cleaned up and then sat next to him, not having made anything for himself. Espresso glanced at him and the two met eyes before the mage averted his gaze back to his food. Not so much as a whisper was spoken between the duo as they listened to the muffled songs of the birds outside. Not even when Madeleine took Espresso’s empty plate back, or after the knight had returned and half-carried the mage to his room. Their farewell to one another was little more than a chuckle and a tired hand wave, and Espresso dimly heard the front door open and close as he prepared for sleep.

* * *

Espresso woke up in his home to faint sizzling. He found himself lying in bed, wrapped in blankets and in soft pajamas like a cake roll or a burrito. He listened to the distant sounds of humming as he idly laid there, eyes closed and breathing faint but steady. He heard knocking on his door.

“You awake yet, Essy?” Madeleine sang, seemingly expecting no answer.

Espresso sat up, grunting. “Madeleine?” he coughed, voice raw. He was looking for the water on his bedside table as his door was opened.

“Are you okay? You don’t look that much better,” Madeleine said, approaching the mage who then looked over at him.

Espresso rubbed his eyes, running a hand through his matted hair. “I feel… tired,” he admitted, picking up his glasses. He put them on and winced as the blurry world before him sharpened; he could then see that the knight was wearing the same apron that he borrowed the day before over top of some more casual clothes instead of armour. It was rather strange not seeing Madeleine reflect every source of light in a room, though in his current weary state the mage welcomed the change.

“I made you some breakfast,” Madeleine offered, smiling kindly. “It’s been done for a while so it won’t be hot, but…”

“... Give me a minute, please,” Espresso sighed, having little energy left to retort.

“Can do. Let me know if you need help getting up.”

Espresso watched him leave, too lethargic to even think about his damaged pride as he un-burritoed himself and stepped foot back onto the carpet below him. He stumbled, catching himself on the table beside him, and looked to the door. He could smell whatever Madeleine was cooking, and at the moment it seemed considerably more important than making himself presentable, so he went ahead and ambled over to the door. When he left his room, he was motioned over by Madeleine to sit on the couch, and he did so without question. A moment later, he had a plate in his lap and a freshly brewed coffee on the table in front of him. He ate in silence as the knight cleaned up, so relaxed in his motions that it may have been assumed that this was his house and not the mage’s.

Espresso eventually leaned back, sighing heavily. He took a sip of his drink before asking, “How did you get in here? I thought that you left last night.”

“I did,” Madeleine said, sitting beside Espresso. He chuckled sheepishly and showed the other the set of keys in his palm, “You gave me these a while ago. I meant to give them back but I kept forgetting.”

“... I suppose I do recall doing that,” Espresso mused, poking at a berry with his fork.

“I guess it was a good thing that I didn’t. The Divine must’ve known that this would happen,” Madeleine grinned.

“Perhaps it did.”

“Do you want them back?” Madeleine offered the keys, only for Espresso to wave his hand in denial.

“Keep them,” he said.

Madeleine stared for a moment, “Oh, okay.” He put them back into his pocket.

“... By the way, thank you.”

Madeleine smiled, “I’ll be here anytime that you need me.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Espresso leaned against Madeleine slightly and the other wrapped their arm around him. The mage rested his tired head against the knight’s chest, using his hair as a pillow.

“If you want, I could stay and maybe cook you some dinner later, too.”

“... I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this probably could've been fluffier, but I'm happy with how this turned out! Tell me what you think, I'm curious :000000

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you weren't disappointed at the lack of fluff in this chapter, but I assure you that that is what the second chapter is for. uVu
> 
> Either way, I hope that you found this mess at least mildly entertaining.


End file.
